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Resources to help parents support children's early learning

See also Resources for supporting pre-school children's reading

ABC-cd: Talking animated alphabet designed to support infant literacy.
This easy-to-use CD Rom includes a range of features to aid inclusion and support. A single user copy of ABC-cd Special edition costs £44.95 (+VAT). Visit www.sherston.com for further information or contact Jamie Bayliss, tel: 01666 843200, email: jbayliss@sherston.co.uk

Early Education leaflets for parents.
The British Association for Early Childhood Education has produced the Learning Together series of guidance leaflets for parents on all aspects of early education, including Babies: learning starts from the first day, Toddlers and very early learning, Helping children with their behaviour and Questions and answers. These leaflet will help parents of children up to age five, as well as students and practitioners, to understand children's development, play an active part in their learning and enjoy the children they spend time with. Contact Early Education, 136 Cavell Street, London E1 2JA. Tel: 020 7539 5400. All leaflets can also be viewed/downloaded from www.early-education.org.uk

Early Learning Goals. The Government expects five-year-olds to have achieved certain stages in their development by the end of reception year, known as 'early learning goals'. These include personal, social and emotional development (forming good relationships with adults and peers, understanding the difference between right and wrong); language and literacy (speaking with confidence, writing simple words); and knowledge and understanding of the world (asking questions about why things happen and how things work). This booklet explains these goals and what a child will be expected to achieve. For more information on early learning goals see Government early years initiatives.
Contact: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 83 Piccadilly, London W1Y 8QA.
The Early Learning Goals document can be viewed and downloaded from http://www.qca.org.uk/

Early Learning Goals resource pack. Produced by the Pre-School Learning Alliance in association with the Early Learning Centre to provide parents and carers with resources tailor-made to help pre-school settings to work towards the Early Learning Goals. The pack describes the goals for each of the six areas of learning and how pre-school provision can help children to meet them. It also includes six accompanying posters illustrating each area of development.
Contact: The Pre-school Mailing House, 45-49 Union Road, Croydon CR0 2XU. Tel: 0870 603 0062.

Early Years Extra Help
. Parents of children with special educational needs can find information about the support available in a new booklet produced by The Advisory Centre for Education. Early Years Extra Help is a 12 page, step-by-step guide for parents of under-fives in nursery and other early years settings receiving public funding. The booklet interprets difficult educational jargon, sets out the help that early years settings should provide, and explains how to support children's learning at home. Cost £1.50, special discounts for bulk orders. Tel: 020 7354 8318

The Early Years Handbook
Compiled by the Curriculum Partnership and edited by Max de Boo, this handbook covers twelve 'activities' or themes, corresponding to the Foundation Stage Curriculum. It includes stories and nursery rhymes. Published by NATE; ISBN: 1 84377115 2; members: £13.99, non-members: £14.99. Contact: NATE, 50 Broadfield Road, Sheffield S8 OXJ; Tel: 01142555419; email: natehq@btconnect.com.

The Foundation Stage at home: helping children to achieve the Early Learning Goals, Dr Shirley Cobbald. Guide for parents giving an explanation of the Foundation Stage curriculum and the Early Learning Goals, and ideas for supporting activities parents can do with their children at home. Cost £14.99.
Contact the Foundation Stage Network on 01432 860569 or visit www.foundationstage.net.

Imaginary Worlds - creative learning through play. A useful starting point for creative work with children. Cost £10.95 + £1.50 p&p per item. To order Email: lisa.parrott@wyp.org.uk

Is your child aged 3, 4 or 5?
is a free leaflet produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority describing the foundation stage and what parents can expect their children to be learning during their pre-school years and when they first go to school. It includes advice for what parents can do to help. The leaflet is available in Chinese, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish and Vietnamese, in braille and on audiotape.
Contact: QCA publications on 08700606015 ref: QCA/00622

Learn Through Play series. Series of 8 publications by the Pre-school Learning Alliance, each looking at a different aspect of play and giving advice on how to present it, the role of adults and the learning opportunities it offers children. Areas covered include language, maths, shapes and colours, music and physical development. £2.75 each (members £1.95).
Contact the Pre-school Learning Alliance order line on 0870 603 0062 or visit www.pre-school.org.uk.

Learn Through Play cards. Cards giving an outline to parents and other visitors of what children are learning through particular pre-school activities. Available in English, Urdu, Gujerati and Punjabi.
Contact: The Pre-school Mailing House, 45-49 Union Road, Croydon CR0 2XU. Tel: 0870 603 0062.

 

Parental Information Point (PIP) Toolkit
Parents in three socially deprived areas have been shown how they can help their children with school work. The National Family and Parenting Institute funded one-off sessions for families with five, 12 and 14-year-olds in Kirklees, Stockport and Tower Hamlets. They were aimed particularly at parents from ethnic-minority backgrounds and on low incomes. A kit containing guides and materials for running parent information sessions is available, price £39.00 plus p&p from NFPI publications on 020 7424 3460.

Read and Write Together. A pack for parents and children aged 3-5, produced by the Basic Skills Agency. Cost £4.
Contact: Basic Skills Agency, Commonwealth House, 1-19 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1NU. Tel: 0870 600 2400. Ref: A524.

Talk To Your Baby, the National Literacy Trust's early language campaign, lists a range of resources to help parents support early language development, from birth to age three. More

Dr Seuss book character
Editable activity card posters to download



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